Zack Bowman showing steady progress

Chicago Bears cornerback will be tested against Green Bay Packers

About the last we saw of Nathan Vasher, he was losing his footing as Greg Jennings raced past him for a 50-yard touchdown in the season opener at Green Bay.

The Bears had hoped to start with Zack Bowman at right cornerback but a hamstring injury delayed him. When Vasher stumbled, the move was made, and 11 games later Bowman is one of the emerging bright spots for a defense that has disappointed all the way around.

Vasher, a highly paid backup who had a brief run as a safety in the nickel package, appears to be on the outs. He's making $2.9 million and has base salaries totaling $10.1 million over the next three seasons.

Now, Bowman is four games away from finishing what he considers his rookie season as the Packers come to Soldier Field on Sunday with one of the league's deepest and most talented corps of wide receivers. Jennings and Donald Driver are averaging more than 15 yards per reception, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers has 25 touchdowns against only seven interceptions.

Coach Lovie Smith was drawn to Bowman because of his size -- 6 feet 1 inch, 193 pounds -- but the fifth-round pick from 2008 was fast-tracked to replace Vasher, the former "Interceptor," because of strides he made during the off-season. That has continued as he leads the defense with four interceptions, and he's fourth in solo tackles with 44.

"I feel a lot more confident and I see a lot of things that I didn't see when I first started out," Bowman said. "I'm way more confident than I was."

It was a rocky start. The Lions' Calvin Johnson had 119 yards on five catches on Oct. 4, picking on Bowman in the first half and leading to the halftime adjustment where Smith ordered Charles Tillman to shadow the receiver.

Four games later, Bowman found himself in the spotlight again. Tillman was sidelined with a shoulder injury against the Cardinals and, as the Bears trailed 31-7 at halftime, the situation dictated a second half full of press man coverage. Bowman responded against Larry Fitzgerald, helping limit him to two catches for 35 yards as the Bears rallied to get within 13.

"That was a turning point for me," Bowman said. "Being able to guard Fitzgerald. He does it all well."

Smith cited the Fitzgerald experience as the point where Bowman got his confidence too. Teams have tested him but it hasn't been glaring. According to Stats LLC, Tillman has been targeted 80 times and Bowman 63. The left corner, Tillman, is always going to get more action because right-handed quarterbacks throw that direction more. It's a work in progress, but the Bears have a rare pair of tall cornerbacks with long arms and a knack for the ball. They form a building block for 2010, one facing a formidable challenge Sunday.

"He's getting better but he's a young player and you have to keep in mind where he started," Smith said. "Physically, he looks the part. He has all the skills but you don't just automatically become a good corner right away. You have to go through what he has gone through."